Covered package with a cushion for the package contents



MarCh 6, 1956 L. l. voLcKENlNG ET A1. 2,737,290

COVERED PACKAGE WITH A CUSHION EOE THE PACNACE CONTENTS 3 sheets-sheet 1 Filed April 8, 1954 ADEL A l Li- March 6, 1956 COVERED PACKAGE WITH A CUSHION FOR THE PACKAGE CONTENTS l.. l. voLcKENlNG ET An. 2,737,290

Filed April 8, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 6, 1956 l.. l. voLcKENlNG ET AL 2,737,290

COVERED PACKAGE WITH A CUSHION FOR THE PACKAGE CONTENTS 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 8, 1954 COVERED PACKAGE Wl'II-l A CUSHION FOR THE PACKAGE CONTENTS Lloyd I. Volckening, Gien Ridge, and John R. OMeara, Scotch Plains, N. J., assignors to Ivers-Lee Company, Newark, N. JL, a corporation of Delaware Application April S, 1954, Serial No. 421,893

6 Claims. (Cl. 206-46) This invention relates in general to that type of package which comprises an approximately 4fiat, thin-walled bag, envelope or like container enclosed within a cover which comprises a single strip of material relatively stiffer than the material of which the bag or container is formed, said cover having a fold near one end edge forming a container-attaching flap to which one edge of the container is secured, a body portion juxtaposed to one side of the container and another fold around the opposite edge of the container providing a closure ilap of a size to overlie the side of the container opposite said body portion with the free edge of said closure ilap adapted to tuck between the marginal end portion of said container-attaching ilap and the container.

A prime object of the present invention is to provide in a package of this nature, a cushion or resilient pad for absorbing pressure applied to opposite sides of the package so as tc- -protect the contents of the package against crushing and also to protect the container against bursting under excessive pressure, particularly `during packing of the package in cartons and shipment thereof to the point of distribution.

The invention especially contemplates a package of this character in which the container is formed of layers of material that is itself thermoplastic or has a thermoplastic coating so that the container can vbe seal-ed in the cover by the thermoplastic material in the container; and another object of the invention is to provide such a package embodying novel and improved features of cons-truction whereby the pad or cushion can be secured between the container and the cover without material hindrance to the sealing of the contain-er in the cover.

A further object is to provide a novel and improved construction for such a package which .shall permit the pad or cushion to 'be easily removed without impairing the attachment of the container tothe cover.

Gther objects, advantages and results of the advantages will be brought out by the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which Figure l is a top plan view of the package constructed in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 -is an enlarged top plan View of the .package with the closure iiap and container-attaching :tiap broken away;

Figure 3 is an enlarged bottom plan View of the package showing the body portion ofthe lcover broken away;

. Figure 4 is a greatly enlarged transverse vertical sectional view on the plane of the line 4-4 of Figure l;-

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view on the plane of the line 5 5 of Figure l;

Figure 6 is a view similar to VFigure l showing a modified form of the package;

Figure 7 is a view like Figure 2 of the package shown in Figure 6; l

Figure 8 is a kView like Figure 3 of the package shown in Figure 6;

Figure 9 is an ,enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view on the plane of the line v9---9 of Figure 6;

States Patent "i" 21,737,290 ce Patented Mar. 6, 1956 Figure 10 is a detached top plan view of the container shown in the other figures;

Figure ll is a top plan view of the package in open condition and showing the manner of removing the cushion or pad; and

VFigure l2 is a view similar to Figure l showing a further modiiication of the invention.

For the purpose of illustrating the principles of the invention, we have shown the container A as comprising two sheets 1 and 2 of thin flexible material, such as cellophane, Pliolm, metallic foil, paper or the like Isealed together in zones 3 forming and bounding compartments 4 `between the Ilayers in which a commodity such as tablets 5 are enclosed. Preferably one edge portion 6 of the container is smooth and unsealed initially.

The cover B compri-ses a single strip of material that is relatively stiffer than the material of which the container A is formed, said strip comprising a body portion 7 of a shape corresponding to that of the container and of a size somewhat greater than the container in length and breadth. AAt one end of the body portion the strip is folded as indicated at 8 to provide a container-attaching flap 9 between which andthe body portion the container A is sealed, preferably by heating and pressing and simultaneous crimping of the -cover and the container when the contain-er is formed of thermoplastic material or of material that is coated with a thermoplastic composition, as indicated at 10. If desired, the container could be fastened to the cover in other ways. The marginal end portion of the iiap 9 is spaced from the container and the cover strip is formed with another fold 11 along the yedge of the container opposite the sea-led zone 1i) and provides a closure flap l2 of a size and shape to overlie the side of the container opposite the body portion 7 of the cover, the free edge of the closure flap being adapted to be releasably tucked between the marginal end portion of the Hap 9 and lthe container, as best shown in Figures l, 3 and 4, so as to close the package. The closure ap may be pulled from beneath the cover attaching flap 9 and swung about the fold 11 asa hinge to expose the container for removal of the contents which can be effected by tearing in known manner the layers of which the container is formed.

In accordance with the invention a cushion or resilient pad C is disposed between the body portion of the cover and the container. The pad C may be formed of any suitable material but conveniently may comprise a plurality of laminated layers of fibrous ymaterial such as soft paper that have their marginal portions pressed together as indicated at 13, so that the marginal portions of the pad are substantially at and thinner than the body portion of the pad, as best shown in Figures 4 and 5.

The body portion of the pad corresponds in shape to the container A and is of a size somewhat Ilarger in area than the crimped portions of the container A inwardly of the unsealed portion 6, as best shown in Figure 3. One marginal `zone of the pad has a cut-away portion providing tabs 14. These tabs are inserted into the cover between the body portion thereof and the container as shown inFigure 4, and preferably the tabs are not sealed to the cover but are simply pressed frictionaily between the body portion and the portion 7 of the container when the sealing zones lit-are formed, as best shown in Figures `2 and 3.

The pad effectively serves to absorb pressure applied tothe package from opposite sides of the cover so as to protect the contents of the container against being crushed and also so as to protect the container against bursting under excessive pressure, especially, duringpacking of the packages into cartons and the shipping of the packed cartons from one point 'to another. After the package has been received by the user, Vthe pad can be easily pulled out of the cover as shown in Figure ll without impairing the attachment of the container to the cover, so that the package can be carried more conveniently in a pocket of a garment or in a handbag or the like. Of course, if desired, the pad may be left in the package and in some cases it may be desirable to actually seal the pad to the cover, for example by the thermoplastic coating on the container, as shown in Figure 12 where the sealing zone that attaches the container to the cover is extended at to include the tabs i4.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the number and form of the tabs may be varied as desired. For example, there may be a single tab 16 intermediate the length of the edge of the pad formed by cut-away portions at the ends of the marginal zone of the pad, as shown in Figures 6 8 inclusive, and the sealing zones 17 that attach the container to the cover may terminate short of said tab as shown in these iigures, or may extend into the tab where it is desired to permanently fasten the cushion or pad to the cover.

lt will be observed that the cutting away of the edge portion of the pad makes it possible to seal both layers of the container A to the cover, one layer being sealed to the body portion of the cover and the other layer being sealed to the cover-attaching ap 9 through the cut-away portion, as best shown in Figure 4; thus secure attachment of the container to the cover, or vice versa, is ensured. The sealing Zones 1i) and 1'7 located in the cutaway portions of the cushion pad, for example between the tabs 14 and at opposite sides of the tab 16, hold the cushion pad against lateral movement in its own plane out of the cover.

To avoid circumlocution, the term commodity container is used in the appended claims to denote bags, envelopes or the like containing a plurality of articles such as tablets, or a powder, liquid or paste, as well as assemblages or groups of commodities held together in some other way, for example strips of matches.

Other modications and changes in the construction and combination of the cover, container and pad will occur to those skilled in the art within the scope of the invention.

What we claim is:

l. A package comprising an approximately flat commodity container having thin flexible walls, a cover formed of a strip of flexible material relatively stiffer than said container walls having a fold providing a body portion with a container attaching flap at one end thereof, at least the outer surfaces of said walls of the container being thermoplastic, a pad interposed between said container and said body portion and having a marginal zone disposed in said fold, said marginal zone having at least a portion thereof cut away and said container being heat sealed to said body portion and said flap only in the cutaway portion of said pad, whereby said container is firmly directly sealed to both said iiap and said body portion of the cover. Y

2. A package as defined in claim l wherein said marginal zone of the pad is releasably frictionally held between said container and said body portion at opposite sides of the sealed portions of the container', body portion and iiap so that the pad is held against movement longitudinally of said fold but is removable from the cover at will in one direction transversely of said fold.

3. A package comprising an approximately at commodity container having thin iiexible walls, a cover formed of a strip of flexible material relatively stier than said container walls having a fold providing a body portion with a container attaching ap at one end thereof, one edge portion of said container being disposed in said fold and positively secured to said body portion and to said iiap, and a soft and resilient cushion pad interposed between said container and said body portion and capable of absorbing pressure applied to the package from opposite sides thereof, said cushion pad having one marginal zone releasably frictionally held in said fold between said container and said body portion so that the cushion pad can be removed at will from the package, said marginal zone of the cushion pad having at least a portion cut away and said container being secured to said body portion and said ap only in said cut-away portion.

4. A package comprising an approximately fiat commodity container having thin exible walls, a cover formed of a strip of exible material relatively stiffer than said container walls having a fold providing a body portion with a container attaching flap at one end thereof, one edge portion of said container being disposed in said fold and positively secured to said body portion and to said ap, and a soft and resilient cushion pad interposed between said container and said body portion and capable of absorbing pressure applied to the package from opposite sides thereof, said cushion pad having one marginal zone releasably frictionally held in said fold between said container and said body portion so that the cushion pad can be removed at will from the package, at least the outer surfaces of said walls of the container being thermoplastic, said marginal zone of the cushion having at least a portion cut away and said container being heat-sealed to said body portion and said flap only in the cut-away portion of said cushion pad.

5. A package comprising an approximately fiat commodity container having thin exible walls, a cover formed of a strip of flexible material relatively stiffer than said container walls having a fold providing a body portion with a container attaching iiap at one end thereof, one edge portion of said container being disposed in said fold and positively secured to said body portion and to said iiap, and a soft and resilient cushion pad interposed between said container and said body portion and capable of absorbing pressure applied to the package from opposite sides thereof, said cushion pad having one marginal zone releasably frictionally held in said fold between said container and said body portion so that the cushion pad can be removed at will from the package, at least the outer surfaces of said walls of the container being thermoplastic, said marginal zone of the cushion having a cut-away portion intermediate the ends of said marginal zone of the cushion pad and said container being heat-sealed to said body portion and said iiap only in the cut-away portion of said cushion pad.

6. A package comprising an approximately at commodity container having thin flexible walls, a cover formed of a strip of flexible material relatively stiffer than said container walls having a fold providing a body portion with a container attaching iiap at one end thereof, one edge portion of said container being disposed in said fold and positively secured to said body portion and to said flap, and a soft and resilient cushion pad interposed between said container and said body portion and capable of absorbing pressure applied to the package from opposite sides thereof, said cushion pad having one marginal zone releasably frictionally held in said fold between said container and said body portion so that the cushion pad can be removed at will from the package, at least the outer surfaces of said walls of the container being thermoplastic, said marginal zone of the cushion having cut-away portions at longitudinally spaced points in said marginal zone and said container being heat-sealed to said body portion and said iiap only in the cut-away portions of said cushion pad.

References Cited inthe tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,268,379 Bird et al Dec. 30, 1941 2,282,908 Thompson May 12, 1942 2,356,106 Vineberg Aug. 15, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS 421,358 Great Britain Dec. 19, 1934 

